Sir, With regard to the article in The Courier, March 27, regarding another complaint in respect of the Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, it would appear that the Scottish Government’s attempt to improve matters as far back as 2010 have failed abysmally.
At this time the public was invited to elect a number of non-executive directors to the board of NHS Fife. Unfortunately this attempt to obviously improve matters has been a failure, as on every occasion that these directors have appeared in the public domain, they have always supported the decisions of the board and not listened to points raised by the public.
This was obvious when the residents of Glenrothes and surrounding area were attempting to retain the Out of Hours Service operated at Glenrothes Hospital, when without exception, these non-executive directors, supported the decision of the board, who were attempting to move the service to the Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy.
I don’t imagine anyone with a complaint regarding the NHS in Fife, would expect to obtain a satisfactory response from their complaints department.
To date, the only recourse the public have, is to go to the press with their complaints.
I conclude by suggesting that these non-executive directors be dispensed with as it would at least save a considerable sum of money which could be better spent on improving the health service in Fife.
Allan Murray. 44 Napier Road, Glenrothes.
Are they simply protecting their own interests?
Sir, Researchers, scientists and university professors, desperate to keep their “green fees” salaries and grants, keep coming up with “doomsday scenarios” about global warming.
Professor Peter Smith a lecturer at Aberdeen University said global warming will have catastrophic consequences including a rise in civil wars and famine.
Caribbean beaches will be wiped out; Alpine ski resorts will disappear and African communities will be left without food.
However, he believes Scotland has the potential to become a world leader in the race to save the planet.
If he believes this then his students should boycott his lectures on the basis of fantasy and attempted brainwashing.
It may have escaped his cloistered existence that the planet has not warmed for 16 years and that Scotland has less than 0.15% of global emissions.
Daniel Arnott. St Brycedale Court, Kirkcaldy.
Alarmist rubbish reinstated
Sir, The last report by the UN Committee on Climate Change in 2007 was so riddled with errors and exaggeration it led to a rebuke and a severely critical appraisal by the council of national science academies.
As a result this time the full report drawn up by IPCC scientists is very much more cautious and vague about worsening cyclones, changes in rainfall, climate-change refugees and the overall cost of global warming.
Sadly the key “Summary for Policymakers” was produced by IPCC apparatchiks with scientists (and the media) excluded and the result is that all moderation has been edited out and the usual alarmist rubbish reinstated.
Dr John Cameron. 10 Howard Place, St Andrews.
Only way is to reduce demand
Sir, Malcolm Parkin in his letter (March 31) expresses his support for our energy needs being met solely by nuclear power stations.
As with too many commentators he supports an energy source that will provide his electricity at someone else’s expense. It certainly won’t see a nuclear power station sitting between Kinnesswood and Loch Leven.
I have yet to read of nuclear reactors being cheap to set up. They, too, will be at a cost to the government and will only supply electricity to customers at a low cost if there is someone subsidising the supply. That someone would have to be the taxpayer.
The only way to reduce our personal energy costs will be to reduce our demand.
JM Cowie. 4 Main Street, Dunshalt.
They trumpet the loudest
Sir, The public should note that those who speak loudest, indeed trumpet, against Scottish independence, are the Scottish Westminster MPs.
The reason for this, of course, is crystal clear: where would they find another job with a substantial salary, a bottomless expense account, 20 weeks’ paid holidays and a first-class guaranteed pension? Or perhaps the question should be: where would they find a job?
Joseph G Miller. 44 Gardeners Street, Dunfermline.
Better listen to Ed, Alex
Sir, We’ve had a lot of smirking Salmondites these last few days who seem to think their separatist dreams have been delivered by some anonymous below-the-radar Tory allegedly “leaking” the true intentions of Westminster regarding a currency union in the unlikely event of a “yes” vote.
The separatists know currencyunion is the key to selling their dysfunctional (non) currency plans and will grab at any piece of driftwood to keep them afloat. And driftwood is all that it is.
Mr Salmond does not seem to share the same contempt for the Westminster Labour Party as he does for the Tory-Liberal coalition so he would be advised to listen very carefully to what Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, had to say on the matter: “I have been very clear that if I am chancellor after the next election I would not agree to a currency union between a separate Scotland and the rest of the UK.” How much clearer can that statement be?
Currency union is not in the gift of Mr Salmond but it will be ultimately decided by the electorate in England, Wales and Ireland. The ill-advised statements issued by the separatists over Trident, the scorn they have for our family of nations and the threat to renege on Scotland’s share of the national debt has not endeared them to voters in the rest of the United Kingdom.
Iain G Richmond. Guildy House, Monikie.
Labour’s part in devolution
Sir, Mr McCandless (letters March 24) describes Labour as “against the spirit of devolution” and argues that “Labour politicians cannot argue against independence while trying to defend their plans on devolution”. While the SNP grind towards an introverted separation from the UK, voters should remember that devolution was mainly gained for Scotland by the Labour Party, not the SNP.
Holyrood already has many extra devolution consents coming within the 2012 Agreement and gained an extra £63 million in the recent budget. The SNP press only for total separation from the UK. Given a “no” result, what fuller powers would they wish to negotiate for Holyrood?
Total SNP silence!
Then why decry Labour, within the combined majority of parties defending the UK, for not fully committing to a pre-set agenda before a conference is even needed? Labour has made its broad aims public and firmly continue their support for a Scottish “no” vote.
Angus Brown. The Orchard, Longforgan.
An additional EU hurdle
Sir, Alex Salmond should factor in an additional hurdle for an independent Scotland to navigate before being able to join the EU.
East European MEPs are telling me they will insist on transitional measures being applied to any new EU accession state, including Scotland.
This is because they had to suffer harsh transitional measures when they joined and they are adamant new member states can expect no special favours.
When 10 East European and other countries acceded to the EU in 2004, subsidies for farmers were phased in over a period of 10 years, only reaching parity with the rest of Europe this year.
This was also the case for the Bulgarians and Romanians who joined in 2007. Similarly, when Croatia joined the EU last year, they had an additional restriction of 70% placed on their budget for fisheries.
The EU also allows for restrictions on the freedom of movement of workers and a five-year restriction period for transport carriers from new accession states to operate national road haulage services, giving these Eastern European MEPs additional tools with which to make life difficult for Scotland.
An independent Scotland would require the approval of an absolute majority of MEPs before acceding. The cost of achieving this majority support would be the application of these severe restrictions and transitional measures which would devastate our farmers, fishermen, hauliers, and workers.
This isn’t “Tory scaremongering” it is reality.
Struan Stevenson MEP. The European Parliament, Brussels.
So, are we now no longer liable?
Sir, Another vehement and definite “no” to the use of the English pound from the unionist politicians and those who speak for the treasury in London sally forth to us mortals here in Scotland lest we dare to vote “yes” to independence.
Does this mean that if Scots were to choose independence then we would no longer be liable for any debts/mortgages/overdrafts owed to those UK banks/companies etc?
After all, most transactions with those businesses down south are done with the English pound.
Bob Harper. 63a Pittenweem Road, Anstruther.